Living beside an icon – Battersea area guide

Battersea Area Guide

Originally known for supplying vegetables, fruits and flowers to the London markets the early seventeenth-century village of Battersea lay close to the riverside with a mere scattering of the industry. In the nineteenth-century, railway construction and hastening suburbanisation tripled the local population and replaced riverside wharves with new industries such as breweries, gas works and flour mills. Battersea Park still remains a tranquil reminder of the green spaces, once the livelihood of the area, given over to development. Due to this large industrial landscape iconic and striking remnants of enterprise tower over the unpopulated and much-coveted riverside. Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, stands on the south bank of the River Thames. Roughly triangular in shape, it spans east to west from Nine Elms Lane to Fairfield Street and as far south as Nightingale Lane. Neighbouring districts include the affluent Balham and Clapham, and north of the river, Fulham and Chelsea.

Both Battersea, and adjacent district Vauxhall, are areas of major redevelopment and regeneration. With more than £1 billion being spent on new infrastructure – including Battersea’s first tube station which will cut travel time to the City to just 12 minutes – this transformation will offer exceptional living spaces, high end offices, retail and leisure facilities and will build on Battersea’s vibrant and dynamic collection of bars and restaurants. As a centre of industry and development Battersea, as we know it, grew out of Victorian Railway advancement and the Industrial Revolution. The iconic and striking chimneys of the Battersea Power Station hark back to a time of progress and enterprise. How apt then, that they should play such a key role in the evolution of this ever thriving and well-loved district.

What’s New?

Nine Elms is the largest regeneration zone and is considered as the London’s most important urban renewal program to date. It is three and half times larger than the Canary Wharf Finance District and is redesigned with two new underground stations are planned to be completed there by 2020 – linking up with the northern line at Vauxhall. These underground stations will provide excellent transport links to the City, Central London and the West End. A new footbridge is planned over the Thames to join Nine Elms with Chelsea. Nine Elms’ renaissance is expected to transform the area into an ultra-modern destination offering everything in comfort, luxury and amenities and becoming a burgeoning cultural and business hub. Tech giant Apple has based it’s London headquarters at Nine Elms and is supposed to become the largest office tenant as it will occupy around 500,000 square foot of space across six floors of the central Boiler House from 2021. Also, the new USA Embassy is announced to open in London later this year on a former industrial state, Nine Elms, on the south of the River Thames.

Transport Links

Underground tube stations are planned to be opened at Battersea and Nine Elms by 2020 on the Northern Line extension. The NLE will be London’s first new Tube line since the millennium, all thanks to the financial input by the developers in the Nine Elms area, including Battersea Power Station and the new US Embassy. Another commuting bonus is the £26 million privately funded new Thames Bridge providing pedestrians and cyclists with an easy link between Vauxhall and Battersea.

School Network

For families that are looking to settle into the area, Battersea offers a good range of local primary schools including the ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rated Chesterton Primary School, Falconbrook Primary and Christchurch Primary. For older children, the Power Station also offers a short commute to several of the most prestigious schools in Britain. Such as Westminster which is an independent boarding located next to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. However, if you are looking for separate boys and girls school, the northeast Dulwich College and James Allen’s Girls School to the south of the City are similarly easy to reach at around half an hour’s travel time. There are preparatory schools too in Battersea such as Thomas’ Battersea and the others are Newton Prep, Eaton House, The Manor and Northcote Lodge. There are also a few secondary schools in the area comprising Harris Academy, St. John Bosco College, Thames Christian College and Emanuel.

Upcoming Power Station Attractions

• Lounge & Roof Garden Situated within the top two levels of Battersea Roof Gardens will be c. 7,400 sq ft residents lounge, in a prime position overlooking the Power Station.
• Gym Overlooking the Electric Boulevard the gym will include a large open space (c 4,700 sq ft) complete with cardio machines, weight areas and a studio space which will offer a number of incredible classes.
• The Health Club Fancy a state of the art leisure facility on your doorstep? Well, look no further. In the Circus West area, all residents will have private access to facilities such as Jacuzzi’s, sauna and steam rooms as well as a lengthy 20m swimming pool to help get yourself in shape.
• Battersea Park With around 200m of green-space only moments away, you will have access to beautiful gardens, a bandstand and a lake for those evening strolls.
• Electric Boulevard Phase three offers a space designed by the world-class architects Foster & Partners and Gehry Partners. With something for everyone, the Electric Boulevard will give you access to over 40 retail units with the addition of restaurants and leisure clubs.

Other Outdoor Area Attractions:

• New Covent Garden Market
• Battersea Arts Centre
• The Albion
• The Pump House Gallery
• Battersea Library